The present invention relates to machine tools in general, especially to multiple-spindle automatic machines, and more particularly to improvements in mechanisms for moving slides (especially side slides or cross slides) in machine tools.
It is known to derive motion for a cross slide from a rotating cam, especially from a radial cam whose track is configurated in such a way that the follower or followers are caused to move nearer to or further away from the cam axis when the cam is driven by a train of gears or the like. As a rule, the follower is mounted on a pivotable lever which transmits motion to a second lever mounted on a shaft which, in turn, transmits motion to a slide. Similar mechanisms are disclosed in German Pats. Nos. 758,568 and 890,888. The means for transmitting motion from the lever whose roller follower tracks the cam to the lever which turns the aforementioned shaft includes one or more intermediate levers, rods or analogous parts which reduce the rigidity and stability of the mechanism.